1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to mining devices. More specifically, it relates to a mining device using a counter-flow system to separate sand and ore.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Placer deposits are accumulations of resistant and insoluble minerals that have been eroded from their original locations of formation and deposited along river courses or at the ocean margins. The most important of these deposits contain gold, platinum, tin, titanium, chromite, and diamonds. Today, much of the world's tin and many of the gem diamonds are recovered by dredging near-shore ocean sediments for minerals that were carried into the sea by rivers. Gold has been recovered in the past from such deposits, most notably in Nome, Ak. Large quantities of placer titanium minerals occur in beach and near-shore sediments, but mining today is confined generally to the beaches or onshore
Mining, especially underwater mining is more often than not coupled with extremely dangerous conditions, including but not limited to storms, freezing temperatures, frozen ocean, deep-water access, and lengthy and difficult ocean travels. Other issues often associated with current underwater mining techniques are pollution, travel time from port to mining site, extensive cleaning times, and the requirement of a diver in deep, dark, and cold mining locations. Conventional approaches include floating dredges, barge excavators, divers with suction hoses, and manual fine sorting. Floating systems only work in calm ice-free seas (6-10 weeks/year) and typical operation grosses roughly one million dollars in gold per season. A floating dredge is limited by depth, current, and weather, and requires an operator on the bottom, an operator on the top, and surface processing. Seabed dredges require surface processing. Surface excavators and bucket dredges are limited by depth and weather, lack maneuverability, have no visibility of the seafloor, and require surface processing. Each of the approaches is limited includes difficulties that limit the efficiency of the respective systems. A new system capable of operating for greater lengths of time in a safer and more efficient manner is necessary.
Accordingly, what is needed is an underwater mining system capable of operating by a remote control and adapted to continuously separate a desired ore from the surrounding sediment while re-depositing the undesired sediment without creating water column pollution. However, in view of the art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the field of this invention how the shortcomings of the prior art could be overcome.
All referenced publications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Furthermore, where a definition or use of a term in a reference, which is incorporated by reference herein, is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate disclosure of the invention, Applicants in no way disclaim these technical aspects, and it is contemplated that the claimed invention may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.
The present invention may address one or more of the problems and deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. However, it is contemplated that the invention may prove useful in addressing other problems and deficiencies in a number of technical areas. Therefore, the claimed invention should not necessarily be construed as limited to addressing any of the particular problems or deficiencies discussed herein.
In this specification, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge, or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which this specification is concerned.